Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
45 is career old age.
Old 11-16-2014, 04:10 PM   #1
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,135
45 is career old age.

New article from Australian study.

Synopsis is that the world thinks you're washed up at 45 so launch into entrepreneurial endeavors or be ready to FIRE instead. Pretty superficial/short article...

Is 45 the new old age in the workplace?

Is 45 the new old age in the workplace? - Nov. 14, 2014
papadad111 is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 11-16-2014, 06:34 PM   #2
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 534
I wasn't willing to risk it so I ER'd at 44.
jon-nyc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 06:46 PM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
At MegaMotors they started pushing you to the door at 45ish and by 55 a large percentage took the hint and retired, including me. It was a culture thing there, may be other factors now in the wider world.
travelover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 06:52 PM   #4
Full time employment: Posting here.
truenorth418's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Bushnell
Posts: 607
This is certainly consistent with my experience, though sometimes 40 was the cut off. In fact, at the last company I worked for before retiring, I noticed I was one of the oldest among the 150 people in the marketing department when I joined the company at age 36.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
truenorth418 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 07:11 PM   #5
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: W Colorado
Posts: 476
Definitely can relate. It was pretty obvious by the time I was past 50 at my last employer that they really wanted the "old people" gone. I wanted to get past age 55 so that I can live off of my 401k without penalty. In the corporate exit interview I made sure that I pointed out the age issue.
pjm-7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 07:11 PM   #6
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 534
What I noticed on Wall Street and in Big Consulting is you either left young or made it high up the chain. There were no 'worker bee' types in their 40s.

Ok, at the banks maybe some back office specialists. And office support in both places. But of the front line professionals, you left in your 30s or became a leader. Most left.
jon-nyc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 08:59 PM   #7
Moderator
MBAustin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,925
Interestingly, I have three friends from very different backgrounds who have been hired by the same MegaMegaCorp in the past year - all are in their 50's.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
----------------------------------
ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
MBAustin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2014, 09:03 PM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
growing_older's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,657
Have seen this throughout my career in high tech. A few older engineers stay on as individual contributors, and a few move into management roles. We actively hire young engineers, but very rarely if ever hire older engineers. Layoffs periodically clean house of older engineers, carefully documented to avoid problems with the protected class of age.

After age 45 I know several engineers who did find work by personal contacts with people they knew from previous jobs, but I know quite a few that gave up and either started their own small time consulting or got into something unrelated like real estate.
growing_older is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 05:25 AM   #9
Moderator
braumeister's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,199
Quote:
Originally Posted by growing_older View Post
Layoffs periodically clean house of older engineers, carefully documented to avoid problems with the protected class of age.
I saw this a lot too, and not just engineers. Whenever the budget dictated, a department would lay off most of the older (i.e., higher paid) folks, with a sprinkling of younger ones to avoid an age-related lawsuit.
braumeister is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 09:22 AM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 2,745
I've heard it is worse in China, and other East Asian countries. Forced retirement is common. Peer pressure to either move up or quit as one ages is prevalent.
robnplunder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 09:30 AM   #11
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
I naively thought this was only a real issue with high tech industries in the US. Sad to hear that it seems so prevalent in other sectors as well.

Hopefully I will be ER'd at some point next year and no longer worrying about this. However, it does see to lend a note of finality to my ER since I will be too old to go back. A bit sad, really.
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
CoolChange is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 09:47 AM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 1,563
I have worked for companies that 45 was old.
FANOFJESUS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 09:50 AM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
OAG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
I agree so I RE at 39 (35 years ago)!
__________________
Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
OAG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 10:53 AM   #14
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 133
I have a physically and mentally demanding middle management job at a megacorp. Most people in my position don't last past their mid 50's. However megacorp does not want us to retire. They can't find enough people to put up with the demands of the job AND perform at a high level. So at 54 will I be forced out no. Am I burnt out yes. Thank goodness I planed ahead and will be ok when I retire.
Samething is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 11:32 AM   #15
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 973
I worked crazily to reach the top of my academic career just before 45. Since then I have been letting things go smoothly, partly because the leadership was changed. I now consider that my work is normal, in par with my colleagues.
flyingaway is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 11:36 AM   #16
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: South central PA
Posts: 3,469
In medicine that is not true at all. Most of us in our group are over 40, and anyone under 35 is too inexperienced from what I have seen. Many docs keep practicing far too long though. My group is begging me to stay on as an independent contractor and will keep covering my malpractice. But as an IC I can say "no" 365 days per year if I want.
EastWest Gal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 01:35 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
nash031's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bonita (San Diego)
Posts: 1,795
I wonder about this as it pertains to my career and/or FIRE aspirations. I'll retire from the Navy around age 42. While many friends have gone on to other careers after retirement, none have been particularly successful. That could be because they've mailed it in and are just collecting paychecks until they have enough saved to live on their pension and savings, or it could be that they just don't have a particular skill that lends itself to doing well in another career. I'm not sure.

That said, if I have enough saved and my pension comes through, I may not find out which it is in my particular case. If I have to, I hope that my youthful (and good!) looks help prevent that "old age" label.
__________________
"So we beat to our own drummer in the sun;
We ask for nobody's permission to run.
I just wanna live in a world like that;
Now I'm gonna live in a world like that!" - World Like That, O.A.R.
nash031 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 03:50 PM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Jay_Gatsby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,719
I've seen all ages in my legal career, but like many others here, with a few exceptions (subject-matter experts) you have to move up or move out. This is why you must always strive to be current, take on projects, etc... but naturally keep in mind that whatever you do, it must advance your career. Altruism (sometimes masquerading as being a "team player") simply means you're doing someone else's job for no additional money.
__________________
He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it . . . It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. -- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jay_Gatsby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 04:16 PM   #19
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lexington
Posts: 83
In my current career, I am considered old, and I'm only 50. Currently in a "transition plan" - my job is only guaranteed until July 1, 2015. I am not interested in retiring yet, so it's on to the next chapter.
treeofpain is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2014, 05:05 PM   #20
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,962
Wouldn't it be easier to just buy a handful of laundromats and live off of that rather than try to work for somebody else for a living? First, "They" insist that you get a job but do not require that any jobs actually have be available. Then, they scrupulously protect their ability to let anybody go for any reason, but workers have no or only perfunctory "on paper" protections too labyrinthian for most people to actuate. Work? Let somebody else do it.
razztazz is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Checking out at age 40? Start a new career? comicbookgujy Young Dreamers 26 01-15-2014 12:28 AM
Retirement age and age discrimination Chuckanut Life after FIRE 28 08-29-2011 10:26 PM
Old serial killers get old age pension?!? JacqJolie Other topics 0 04-14-2010 01:00 PM
So, do you feel your age? Act your age? Like your age? vickko Life after FIRE 84 04-10-2010 01:47 PM
When you buy a car, what age or age range do you usually buy? cloudeleven Other topics 21 05-27-2008 08:20 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:10 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.